College Football: 2010 National Title Contenders from the ACC

- Harlon Jordan, ACC Blitz.com

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It's been a while. And when it happens, it's few and far between. I'm not talking about finding your woman's 'G-spot' or a baseball season passing without talk of steroids. I'm talking a national power from the ACC.

The SEC has won five (yes, FIVE) titles since Florida State last won a title for the league in 1999. The ACC simply doesn't put out teams powerful enough to hold their own through a conference season. Virginia Tech has come the closest to sustained power, earning multiple BCS bids, and in 2008 snapped the leagues win-less BCS streak by beating Cincinnati 20-7. But the point remains—no real national title contenders.

As meaningless as some people say preseason rankings are, they are a great way for teams to get an early edge in BCS standings. Of the twelve teams in the ACC, five are already in the Top 25 (Virginia Tech, Miami, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Florida State) and two are just on the outskirts (Clemson and Boston College). At any given moment, these top seven could beat each other.

The ACC is seemingly loaded in 2010, so it has an opportunity to change that lack of title contenders.

Or does it?

Take a look at other conferences that year in and year out provide us with national title contenders. They all have one thing in common—one, maybe two, dominant teams. The SEC has Alabama and Florida, the Big Ten has Ohio State (occasionally Iowa or Penn State), the Pac-10 has USC and Oregon, and the Big XII has Texas and Oklahoma. Sure, there are upsets every now and then, but for the most part the big boys handle their own. With over 50% of the ACC's teams top 25 worthy, they may very well simply cancel each other out of national power.

Last year was a great example of the leagues parity.

Georgia Tech, who went on to win the conference championship, lost to a Miami team that lost to North Carolina that lost to Virginia Tech that lost to Georgia Tech. I could go on and on, but I digress. You get the point. Too much good maybe, well, too much bad. But we'll save that for another conversation. Let's take a look at the paths these few teams have to national contention.

(Keep in mind—this list in order of EASIEST route, not necessarily which team is better. If I were a betting man, which I am now that I mention it, my money is on the Hokies—which is rather enticing at +260 to win the ACC and +2200 to win the National Title).

Florida State

This isn't a typo.  I'm actually mentioning the Seminoles in national title talk. With the chaos gone that surrounded the forcing out of Bobby Bowden, new head man Jimbo Fisher inherits a fully stocked team.

Keeping in line with the above mentioned teams, the Noles too have a HUGE out of conference game early in the year with their trip out west to play Oklahoma. Aside from that, and a trip to Miami, the Noles are fortunate enough to have every other 'challenging' game at Doak Campbell, which include conference match-ups against Boston College, Clemson, North Carolina, and a visit from Florida.

• On the Road at Oklahoma, at Miami

• Safe at Home vs BYU, vs Boston College, vs North Carolina, vs Clemson, vs Florida

Virginia Tech

The Hokies have one of the easier routes (but definitely no cake walk) of all the ACC teams. Not only do they have the highest starting poll position of an ACC team (#6), but they get potential contender Georgia Tech at home, and one of their Atlantic opponents is a Wake Forest squad that will struggle just to break even this year.

They do face difficult road trips to Boston College, Miami, and North Carolina. Three of their four out-of-conference match-ups won't carry much weight and are easy 'W's'. It's their first game of the year (vs Boise State) that has a chance to catapult them in the top 10 before conference play even starts.

• On the Road at North Carolina, at Miami, at Boston College

• Safe at Home vs Georgia Tech, vs Boise State (come on - this is nearly a home game)

Georgia Tech

I'm sure Coach Johnson would love an opportunity to wash out the bad taste that was the end of 2009, which saw Tech get stopped cold in the Orange Bowl. It won't be an easy task, to say the least.

While there is no marquee game to start the season (other than a trip to Kansas who went 5-7 last year), their road schedule is brutal. They travel to North Carolina, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and wrap the year up with a visit to rival Georgia, who year in and year out has a solid squad. The only 'big team' from the ACC they host is Miami, who ironically enough was responsible for their only conference loss last year.

• On the Road at North Carolina, at Clemson, at Virginia Tech, at Georgia

• Safe at Home vs Miami

Miami

The Canes have arguably the toughest route.

I know AD's like to schedule high caliber games but look at the 2010 Miami schedule and one word comes to mind—Damn. They have the luxury of North Carolina and Virginia Tech at home, but have road games against Georgia Tech and Clemson, two notoriously difficult places to play.

They, like Virginia Tech, have a chance early in the year to make their mark in the world of college football with their September 11th trip to Columbus to take on #2 Ohio State. Two weeks later, they travel north to take on Big East runner-up Pittsburgh.

Then the fun starts with a conference schedule that has them playing not only the Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech AND North Carolina, but they also get the Atlantics two best teams in Florida State and Clemson.

• On the Road at Ohio State, at Pittsburgh, at Georgia Tech, at Clemson

• Safe at Home vs Florida State, vs North Carolina, vs Virginia Tech

Teams with an outside shot at making a run, but I wouldn't count on it—North Carolina, Boston College, and Clemson.